GHA Group (Bryn Melyn, Vale Travel + Others)

[knutstransport]

RE: GHA Group (Bryn Melyn, Vale Travel + Others)

(15/07/2016 09:37)The H man Wrote:  I didn't see the 289 up for tender

On checking while it's been made available it doesn't look like bidding has opened yet "Conditions for opening of tenders Date: 16.7.2016 - 10:30"

http://england.unitedkingdom-tenders.co....2016_Crewe

Quite often they aren't picked up by these kinds of websites until after the bidding has commenced/closed. Whether the dates are still valid now an emergency contract has been issued is another question.

Quote:we did recently bid for the 200 but we were unsuccessful...

However, we are now going to operate the 200 from tomorrow.

Sounds like you've actually been successful. You have a trading company and will be running the service, while GHA are in administration and are not running anything.

[The H man]

RE: GHA Group (Bryn Melyn, Vale Travel + Others)

(15/07/2016 09:44)knutstransport Wrote:  On checking while it's been made available it doesn't look like bidding has opened yet "Conditions for opening of tenders Date: 16.7.2016 - 10:30"

http://england.unitedkingdom-tenders.co....2016_Crewe

Quite often they aren't picked up by these kinds of websites until after the bidding has commenced/closed. Whether the dates are still valid now an emergency contract has been issued is another question.


Sounds like you've actually been successful. You have a trading company and will be running the service, while GHA are in administration and are not running anything.

This is true, unfortunately seen it so many times with operators bidding low to win tenders and the sums dont add up....

[Mayneway]

RE: GHA Group (Bryn Melyn, Vale Travel + Others)

(15/07/2016 08:03)knutstransport Wrote:  Yet they did take action against Warrington Coachways and Oakwood Travel (or whatever they're calling themselves now.)

However, the TC didn't seem interested that High Peak were cancelling services in Cheshire left, right and centre a couple of years ago, as well as providing a not very punctual service.

There was a company in GM called speedwell who cancelled a commercial service but immediately dropped some journeys obviously before the 56 days notice required and they were hauled to a PI and were fined - which led to thier collapse, yet GHA can do it time and time again and face no action.

[Mayneway]

RE: GHA Group (Bryn Melyn, Vale Travel + Others)

(15/07/2016 09:25)knutstransport Wrote:  If that is the case I wouldn't be surprised if they still look at whether Stephen Byrce and the board should be banned from bus operations. Byrce already has a bad record from his time at YourBus and is now responsible for overseeing the collapse of the largest independent operators in Britain.

I think they need banning. It's been embassing to watch how things have slowly got worse at GHA since certain people were appointed. There was clearly a personal vendeta against Routemasters and to simply throw in the towel once Routemasters had seized trading just sums things up.
The aggressive style of managent was I'm told the reason why so many drivers quit, if only the directors had realised this and perhaps took action earlier then maybe things woułd have been different but th adverts recruiting 100 PCV drivers then 100 trainee drivers was just laughable.

[knutstransport]

RE: GHA Group (Bryn Melyn, Vale Travel + Others)

(14/07/2016 19:13)33109 Wrote:  DJB - not the foggiest who'll be willing pick up the 27, D&G will possibly step in for the sun 130 as they won the contract before GHA decided run it commercially.

Had Routemaster still be in a position to run new services I expect they would have got a couple of the Crewe area services and D&G would have then had resources to pick up services further north.

It seems the 27 route will be the most difficult one to find an operator for. Arriva have said they are in talks over running the 88 but seemed to suggest they aren't interested in the 27. High Peak didn't do well the last time they had the 27 route, while Bakerbus, who had the contract before High Peak, no longer exist.

I wonder if Cheshire East need to start talking to operators who haven't previously placed bids for contracts in Cheshire?

[R557 ABA]

RE: GHA Group (Bryn Melyn, Vale Travel + Others)

(15/07/2016 10:49)knutstransport Wrote:  Had Routemaster still be in a position to run new services I expect they would have got a couple of the Crewe area services and D&G would have then had resources to pick up services further north.

It seems the 27 route will be the most difficult one to find an operator for. Arriva have said they are in talks over running the 88 but seemed to suggest they aren't interested in the 27. High Peak didn't do well the last time they had the 27 route, while Bakerbus, who had the contract before High Peak, no longer exist.

I wonder if Cheshire East need to start talking to operators who haven't previously placed bids for contracts in Cheshire?

The 27 is being picked up by High Peak.

[knutstransport]

RE: GHA Group (Bryn Melyn, Vale Travel + Others)

(15/07/2016 11:02)R557 ABA Wrote:  The 27 is being picked up by High Peak.

Well - part of it. A 2 hourly Mon-Fri service. I hope another operator is picking up the Saturday service.

[knutstransport]

RE: GHA Group (Bryn Melyn, Vale Travel + Others)
130 Sunday and Bank Holiday service to be operated by Stagecoach from Sunday

Hourly 88 service starting at 06:40 in both directions to be operated by Arriva from Monday - finishing time unclear.

9, 10A, 38 and 87 services also to be provided by Arriva - presumably at the same times as GHA services.

Cheshire East are still looking at the 78 Saturday service and the Crewe Flexirider.

[33109]

RE: GHA Group (Bryn Melyn, Vale Travel + Others)
Good that the 27 has been picked up, hopefully they can do maybe 2 an hour around peak times as it's used a lot by people heading home from work in knutsford. Tbh though, I don't actually ever remember it being a high earner or that well load honestly.

Arriva will more than likely quite happily pick up the 88, it's been getting good loadings lately & seems quite a profitable route. Also if the enviro 200s bought to run it were funded in any way, saves arriva having to spare extra buses for it. I'd imagine a chunk of the GHA fleet will go for scrap, particularly some of the deckers which are non DDA compliant & a bit long in the tooth really meaning they could only in theory be used on school/college contract work etc.

What'll happen to the drivers, regarding final pay checks? Guessing the administrators will be sorting that out, but it's been known in the past where administrators come in wind up a company & don't exactly play things by the book & sometimes staff are left without having been paid their final wages.

[knutstransport]

RE: GHA Group (Bryn Melyn, Vale Travel + Others)

(15/07/2016 12:55)33109 Wrote:  Good that the 27 has been picked up, hopefully they can do maybe 2 an hour around peak times as it's used a lot by people heading home from work in knutsford. Tbh though, I don't actually ever remember it being a high earner or that well load honestly.

I think High Peak (when they originally tried to run the route commercially) focused too much on people getting to Macclesfield and AstraZeneca for work and meeting the needs of pensioners. While they ignored how many people were using the bus to get to Knutsford and Radbrooke Hall (from the Macclesfield direction) and the needs of people doing part time training courses in Macclesfield (who require later services in the Knutsford direction.)

Quote:Arriva will more than likely quite happily pick up the 88, it's been getting good loadings lately & seems quite a profitable route.

The enhanced frequency had an unusual effect on commuting habits. People from the Altrincham area working at Parkgate and Knutsford business park realised the train was hourly and the station was 20-25 minutes walk from their place of work, while the 88 bus was half-hourly and 5 minutes walk from their place of work. So despite how indirect the route is between Altrincham and Knutsford, people were finding it the best way of getting to their place of work. However, if the reduction to hourly is permanent then the big advantage of the bus over the train goes away and presumably the additional passengers do as well.

Quote:What'll happen to the drivers, regarding final pay checks? Guessing the administrators will be sorting that out, but it's been known in the past where administrators come in wind up a company & don't exactly play things by the book & sometimes staff are left without having been paid their final wages.

Unfortunately, administrators aren't there for the benefit of former employees. Initially they have to try and make the business profitable and if that doesn't work they have to wind down the business. To try and make the business profitable they have to prioritise paying existing employees and suppliers who they might need to keep a relationship with, then if there's money left over they start paying former employees, suppliers they aren't keeping a relationship with etc.